Research in Motion has released OS breakdown information for BlackBerry users downloading applications from BlackBerry App World, and, nearly a year after the release of BlackBerry 6, almost 1 in 5 BlackBerry users, 18% to be exact, are using the latest and greatest RIM has to offer. The data also shows that 32% of BlackBerry users are still pre-BlackBerry OS 5. Usually when we think of mobile OS fragmentation, Android is the platform that jumps to mind, but, things are just as bad for the BlackBerry OS, and, they are soon going to get worse….
Uptake of BlackBerry 6 has jumped 8% in the three months since we last talked about it, but, 82% of BlackBerry users on an operating system at least one version back. This will jump to two versions back as soon as RIM releases BlackBerry 7, expected to ship sometime in the next 2 to 3 months. The real problem for RIM is that everyone who cares knows that RIM intends to replace BlackBerry 7 with QNX in ‘early 2012’.
If it took a year for RIM to get 18% adoption on BlackBerry 6, does it really make sense for developers to focus development efforts on BlackBerry 7 when they know that QNX is coming, and, coming hard?
Robb,
I finally updated my 9700 to OS6 this weekend. Not because I had any interest in the new OS, but because I couldn’t get SocialScope to work correctly with Twitter after an update they posted and my friend who had a Torch wasn’t having the same problem.
I was afraid OS6 would slow down my Bold, it being 2 years old and all, but it seems to be doing OK. The browser is nice, the sliding menus and what not seem odd without a touch screen. It screwed up all my profiles and other settings and I had to dig around and re-download all the OS5 notification sounds (why couldn’t they just include them?)
Most folks I know with a BlackBerry are on OS5, with the exception of the few Torch people out there. Everyone at work with an issued phone is using OS5.
It can’t be a good thing if half the users out there are still on OS5 though. RIM is falling further behind by the day!
Not necessarily a good or bad thing as those are also older devices that people should be ready for a new one anyhow. Developers should just stop trying to develop for all the versions and focus on the last 2 if anything. Make life easy on everyone. If you know only the last 2 have the latest and greatest, you might realize “hey its time to upgrade anyway” or just choose to stick with it.
I think its odd than OS 6 shipped device cannot be upgraded to OS 7. Especially considering what they did with 6 for some devices. You are looking at snubbed individuals who thought they were on the new path and now they pretty much say that your device will be left behind again if you purchase it now. At least with OS 6, we had no idea that it wouldn’t support updated OS. After what happened with OS 6 shipped devices, why would anyone want an OS 7 device?
Focus on the last two? If you mean focus on OS 5 and on BlackBerry 6, but, if you mean BlackBerry 7 and BlackBerry 6, not very many will ever download your app.
I just took a look at some of the BlackBerry 7 developer tools and fortunately, most apps written for OS 5 and 6 will run fine with a screen resolution update here and there. The question for me is will it be worth it to code specifically for features found only on BlackBerry 7 devices, like liquid graphics and NFC.
I think that most of the really cool BlackBerry 7 specific apps will be coded by RIM, or, bigger software houses that RIM contracts to create apps on their behalf. Us little guys simply can’t afford to code for such a small number of people that will go to BlackBerry 7 devices before QNX comes out.
It was more of a general statement. Meaning develop for Blackberry, but only the latest two (whatever they may be). So, right now it would be OS 5 and OS 6. Anyone with an older device may not be interested in dowloading any new apps to be honest. If they are, very likely they can upgrade either the OS to 5 or get a newer device (with 6). RIM pushing OTA updates, or working very closely with carriers to update to latest OS, would have been able to keep the variation of versions down IMO.
Not necessarily a good or bad thing as those are also older devices that people should be ready for a new one anyhow. Developers should just stop trying to develop for all the versions and focus on the last 2 if anything. Make life easy on everyone. If you know only the last 2 have the latest and greatest, you might realize “hey its time to upgrade anyway” or just choose to stick with it.
I think its odd than OS 6 shipped device cannot be upgraded to OS 7. Especially considering what they did with 6 for some devices. You are looking at snubbed individuals who thought they were on the new path and now they pretty much say that your device will be left behind again if you purchase it now. At least with OS 6, we had no idea that it wouldn’t support updated OS. After what happened with OS 6 shipped devices, why would anyone want an OS 7 device?
It most definitely is not a good thing to have half of all BlackBerry users a version, soon to be two versions back. I’d be willing to bet that once we see BlackBerry 7 finally released, BlackBerry 6 devices will out sell BlackBerry 7 devices, simply because BlackBerry 6 devices will see fairly significant price reductions and there are several devices to choose from.
Only one BlackBerry 7 device, the touch Bold 9900/9930 has even been officially announced and it is a ‘high end’ device. We know that the Torch 2 and the Monaco are coming eventually, but, they too are high end devices and will be priced beyond the sweet spot for RIM, which, unfortunately is entry level first time smart phone buyers.
I’d be willing to bet that a lot of Bold 9700, 9650, Torch 9800, and Bold 9780 users that would be willing to upgrade to another high end device are in the middle of a two-year contract and will just tough it out until QNX comes to handsets early next year.
From the graph it appears like over 35% of BB users are running pre BB OS 5 which could mean if RIM releases a good device they could see a large number of unit sales or Android/iOS/WP7 could have a large influx of customers on these aging devices.
These numbers are only people that access BB World which excludes likely millions of devices that are restricted from installing AppWorld (corporate policy) or have no clue it exists.
I don’t think this stat is so bad for RIM it highlights many users are happy to run the device regardless of the OS version as it solves a problem. As RIMMarkable Robb would say it is a damn good hammer. I don’t need a newer version to be better at typing emails since the current version works fine.
The users that want crazy apps and games mostly jumped ship. BB7 / QNX it does not matter most of the damage is done.